Mayoral candidates react to stop-and-frisk ruling

Mayoral candidates sounded-off on a federal court's ruling that the police department's stop-and-frisk practice is unconstitutional in its current state.

After a federal judge deemed the police department's stop-and-frisk practice unconstitutional in its current state and appointed a federal monitor to oversee the program, mayoral candidates weighed in on the decision.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn: "[T]oo many young men of color are being stopped in the streets of New York in an unconstitutional manner and that must stop. … As mayor, I intend to work with the federal monitor to help ensure these stops come down dramatically so that we can build stronger relationships between our communities of color and our police force. "

Former MTA chairman Joe Lhota: "I urge the mayor to appeal the decision to delay implementation of a federal monitor. ... Implementing a federal monitor will have a dramatic impact on proactive police work that we simply cannot allow to happen for the safety of all New Yorkers."

Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson: "Instead of treating our police and people with respect, the mayor and Commissioner Kelly have imposed what are effectively quotas on the police and treated entire minority communities with suspicion."

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner: "This decision sadly confirms what was profoundly obvious. … We must relearn the most basic of edicts of American life. We do not need to sacrifice our civil rights to live in a safe city. You can reduce crime while increasing respect."

Gristedes head John Catsimatidis: "Stop-and-frisk is an example of proactive police work that stops crime and keeps guns off the streets; dropping crime rates have proven that. I am sure this decision will be appealed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, as it should be."

City Comptroller John Liu: "The judge's call for reforms must be heeded, and – longer term – the tactic should be abolished. It's time to put an end to stop-and-frisk once and for all."

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio: "The overuse and misuse of stop-and-frisk hasn't made New York a safer city, it has only served to drive police and community further apart."

Former City Councilman Sal Albanese: "Today, the courts upheld what any reasonable New Yorker has known since day one: Stop-and-frisk is a legal police tool that keeps our city safe when it is used properly. … Don't let my opponents fool you: Today's ruling does not close the book on this issue."

Doe Fund founder George McDonald: "One misguided liberal judge is endangering the safety of all New Yorkers. Appeal, appeal, appeal!"